The government shutdown prompts the cancellation of some Veterans Day events

Federal Shutdown Forces Cancellation of Veterans Day Events Nationwide

Normally on Veterans Day, thousands of volunteers gather at the Riverside National Cemetery in California to place flags alongside more than 300,000 gravesites. This year, however, those gravesites will remain without their traditional patriotic tribute.

The ongoing federal government shutdown—now the longest in U.S. history—has forced the cancellation of Veterans Day ceremonies, parades, and commemorations across the country. This disruption adds to the shutdown’s already widespread impact on air travel, food assistance programs, and military family finances.

For the “A Flag for Every Hero” event at Riverside National Cemetery, organizers had no choice but to cancel Tuesday’s ceremony. Without access to restrooms, traffic control, and other essential services for the thousands of expected participants, the event became impossible to conduct safely.

“We have a responsibility to provide them the resources they need, and unfortunately with the shutdown we’re unable to do that,” explained Laura Herzog, founder and CEO of Honoring Our Fallen, which organizes the Riverside event.

While major observances like those at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and the New York Veterans Day Parade will proceed, numerous local and regional events have been scrapped entirely or significantly scaled back.

In Texas, the National Cemetery Foundation canceled its annual Veterans Day event at the Dallas-Fort Worth cemetery. Officials stated that even if the shutdown ended immediately, insufficient time remained to properly organize the ceremony. Similarly, Hampton, Virginia, called off its annual parade, citing concerns about inadequate participation from active-duty military personnel.

“Our veterans deserve to be recognized with great pomp and circumstance,” said Hampton City Manager Mary Bunting. “Without the presence of our active-duty military, we are concerned that the parade would appear sparse and that the recognition might fall short of the honor our veterans so richly deserve.”

The timing is particularly poignant as military families already face significant uncertainty regarding their financial situation. Since the shutdown began on October 1, the Trump administration has managed to pay troops twice through emergency measures, but future payments remain in question.

Detroit’s annual Veterans Day parade will proceed this Sunday, though without the usual U.S. Army band or helicopter flyover that typically highlights the event. In Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, organizers of the Wyoming Valley Veterans Day Parade—a tradition since 1945—have had to improvise, replacing military vehicles with motorcycle groups and car clubs while making urgent appeals for veteran participation.

“We’re going to have a parade, one way or another,” insisted Susan Allen, a retired Navy lieutenant commander who chairs the parade committee. “We have no choice but to make lemonade out of these lemons.”

Some communities have found creative alternatives to canceled events. In Mississippi, the Gulf Coast Veterans Association canceled its annual parade in Pass Christian but will redirect those funds to provide Thanksgiving dinners for veterans and active-duty military members.

“While we share in the disappointment, we are choosing to turn this setback into a blessing,” the group announced via social media.

In San Antonio, when U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales discovered that the Veterans Day ceremony at Fort Sam Houston Cemetery wouldn’t take place, his office stepped in. Gonzales, himself a Navy veteran with a personal connection to the cemetery where his grandfather is buried, worked with local nonprofits to organize the event, arranging for essentials from a national anthem singer to chairs for attendees.

“We honor our veterans no matter what, and that’s exactly what we did,” Gonzales said.

The shutdown’s impact on these ceremonies highlights the often overlooked consequences of government funding disputes. As the political standoff continues in Washington, its effects ripple outward, now touching even the solemn observances meant to honor those who served their country—the very people these ceremonies were established to recognize.